The Genius of Oskar Barnack. The Leica IIIf Review.
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2020
- Oskar Barnack, the inventor of the 35mm camera envisioned an easy to carry photographic tool with excellent optics and image quality that could rival the much larger film formats of the day. He not only developed the first 35mm film camera, but also the first interchangeable lens camera, and the first cloth curtain shutter. More importantly, he revolutionized photography by making it possible to take photos quickly and conveniently and is credited with the first reportage photos taken with a 35mm camera.
** Check out Matt Osborne at MrLeica.com who was a big help to me in learning about this camera!
00:12 A little history on the Barnack Leica
3:43 Quick overview of the body
4:20 Loading the film
6:57 My thoughts on the Leica IIIf
11:18 Leica IIIf Review starts here
24:31 Lens review
30:07 Best camera design and most imitated camera ever!
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I have a IIIf Red Dial Self-timer and owned a IIf as well. Both are superb cameras that I used throughout my years living abroad, so I could that these cameras have sentimental value. The quirkiness has become a ritual for me, and knowing how to properly use them is like a secret handshake that only the Leicapeople know well... hehehe.
On the Industar-50 lens, I haven't used that but I did use its cousin the Industar-22. Same specs, but made in a different factory. Anyway neither lens is a slouch, but my favorite FSU LTM lens is the Industar-61 lens paired with the FED-5. Super small yet super sharp. Right now though I use a Chiyoko Rokkor (Minolta) 45mm f2.8 and the Canon 50mm f1.4 (famously named the "Japanese Summilux"). The Rokkor has a stepless aperture like the Summitar as well.
Finally on the copies... most of us might be familiar with the Soviet copies FED and Zorki, but Japan actually made more copies (with the number of factories and models, anyway) of Leica Barnacks. Zeiss, makers of the Contax rangefinder line (which was later taken by the Soviets as war reparation and turned into the "Kiev"), naturally did not make a Leica copy, but did have Zeiss lenses for the LTM. Back to Japan, it was probably the Americans who helped with the copycat work, as the Americans (who occupied the region of Hesse, where Wetzlar and Leica are located) brought the blueprints for the Japanese to use in rebuilding their industry for American consumer needs. On the top of my head, brands like Canon, Nicca, Leotax, and Yashica made Barnack copy bodies and lenses.
But even before the end of WWII, Canon and Nikon actually used the Leica screw (or thread) mount standard for their lenses and for Canon's first camera, the Hansa Canon, which used a (gasp!) Nikkor lens. This decision is also the nail in the coffin on why you can't technically use Contax/Kiev lenses for the Nikon S mount system... because they used Leica pitch for their lenses that added 1.3 cms to the len's flange distance. Anyway, back to the Leica copycats. I think there were even American and Chinese copycats of the Barnack too.
I watched this last week with my boyfriend and we enjoyed this whole video so much. (We are Leica fans.) I really appreciate the back story about a real photography pioneer. Fascinating character. Thank you!
Wow that’s great. I’m glad you guys enjoyed it. Thanks so much for watching and yes it was a fascinating story to me also. That’s why I thought I would include some of the back story.
Nice review Eric…the IIIf is a piece of “metal art”…I was lucky to purchase a complete kit from a co- worker years back that purchased it new in Germany while in service. Always in a bag in absolute mint condition. I dated the body and lens to 1953! The kit with original leather bag, camera case, 5cm screw mount, Leitz filters, lens shade ( two) and original bulb flash! The lens is fully MC. I purchased a Voightlander screw mount to M adapter and I use this fantastic Summitar f2 on my M7! Thanks for sharing…be safe. Cheers.
Excellent review! I just my one my father had in his collection for decades fully refurbished. Looking forward to shooting some films on it!
Your videos are so excellently done. I own several leicas including some Barnacks and I found this video so clear and down to earth. It's sometimes hard to cut through the hype zone on YT.
Sorry I didn’t see this post sooner. Thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by my little channel. I really appreciate it!
Thank you for this video. It is very comprehensive. All you need to know is here. I have a iiia. This has been very helpful.
Great video as usual, thank you so much Eric
Great review as always! Thank you man!!!
Really enjoyed all the information and photos. Love your piano playing too.
Own the entire 3 series, loved your details and useful information! Great job, helpful and educational! Thank you for this! 👍🏻🙏🏻
Thanks so much!
Just arrived my iiif. Waiting for the 50 f2 to try. Really appreciate your clear instructions. Very helpful
Great video! There's a lot of things I didn't knew about my IIIF, the "double exposure feature" just drives me crazy! Thank you!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you found it useful.
Another excellent video. I learned a lot. Thanks!
Thanks! I learned a lot from this. I have a iiif that I got 12 years ago. I don’t use it as much as my M2 but it does have its own unique charm and the fact that it’s slightly smaller than an M is attractive. I have a summitar and a Russian Orion 28mm/f6 lens as well as the same Russian rotary finder you do.
I like mine iiif quite a bit despite not shooting is too often. I really like shooting the 5cm f/2 Nikkor LTM with the camera. But I find that even with a 50mm lens that a external finder makes the shooting experience more enjoyable. A very solid and somewhat compact package.
Thank you very much for a review so well done, and with such honesty and relevant details.
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching.
Thanks so much! I just inherited a Leica IIIf and appreciate your in-depth video!
Congrats Matthew. It’s a fun camera to use. I hope you enjoy it.
Fantastic look at the Leica. Thank you.
The photos at the end of the video have a beautiful gentle look to them.
Thanks so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the great video - I own a Leica IIIf and a Leica 1c from 1930 - Just today I picked up a Voightlander Bessa II and your video's helped me narrow down my choice between a number of different cameras.
Glad I could help!
I think I've fallen in love! Great video, thank you.
Great overview, thanks so much.
Hello Eric, I enjoyed your thorough assessment & review of this camera. I have a red dial IIIf & a 1936 Leica II. The simpler & more compact Leica II is my favourite. The slow speeds on my IIIf need a CLA & competent people who can do this work are getting hard to find. The magnification of your camera's rangefinder is 1,5x. The rangefinder magnification on the Leica II is 1:1. This is better than it sounds given that the viewfinder presents an image that is about 1/2 life size. Thank you for the 'show & tell' on your gorgeous machine. A true treasure! Ciao, fm.
Thanks so much for sharing. I agree with you about the Leica II. I don’t think the slow shutter speeds are a big deal shine you still have Bulb and I love the black paint finish and slighter smaller size of the Leica II. It also has a quieter shutter than my IIIc to IIIf conversion.
Gem of a camera. Great review!
Thanks!
Great video as always! Thanks!
Thanks for watching. I’m putting the finishing touches on my next one. Hopefully it’ll be ready tomorrow.
One of the best film cameras ever! The Leica IIIf and the Elmar 50mm lens produces some amazing photos!
Absolutely
Without denying any of the attributes of that beautiful camera, when you say the best 35 millimeter camera of all time, I think it doesn't make much sense. Passion is a good thing, but don't overdo it.
I briefly owned a 1951 Canon iv-f, which is a Leica iii copy. Put a few rolls through it before the cloth shutter ripped. Big, heavy, with a really tiny rangefinder patch. Not a good shooting experience, but a great conversation piece and a beautiful machine to look at.
Hi Eric, thank you so much!!
A great short history. Perhaps it was TB in the same time frame? I have one sitting in my cart as I learn from you and others. Thanks!!
Very good video, well made. You're making me want to buy one!
These are great cameras. I really like the tiny size compared to the M Series Leicas and that they are so well-built.
finally another video about the iiif..They dont get enough love
You’re correct. It’s a great camera.
Because Joe greer and the other you tubers don't use it..Too confusing for them.
Eric - I was just starting to get acquainted with a iif, and feeling a little overwhelmed; your video was just what I needed to get over my sense of intimidation. I'm thinking I'll take it to a pro to get tuned up and then start shooting with it. Thank you!
You’re very welcome. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.
Thank you , this video was so awesome informative, gorgeous camera
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Very informative video. I have a couple of Leica IIIc's plus a couple of the Russian copies. I had Cameras West in Monterey CA do a CLA on one of them. They moved out of state since then. I miss going to their shop.
Thanks for the lens tips, I can't afford the Leitz lenses. I'll try the two Russian lenses I have.
Great video thank you very much!
Hello. You made really good material about my favorite camera. I have IIIa Leica and it is my favorite camera. I have m4 too but still Leica IIIa is made for my small hands ^^
Best Whishes. Thank You for video Sir!
Thank you as well. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent video. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Best Leica presentation I have seen yet!! I now own 3 Canon ltm rangefinders but still "need" a Leica.
Thanks so much. Yep Leica’s are definitely a “need”.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Well, I got my "need" all taken care of...a beautiful lllf in near mint condition and working flawlessly. It's even wife approved!! I owe it all to you! Thank you!!
You’re very welcome. The IIIf is a winner. “Wife approved” is a good move on your part. Well done.
Very cool! Would be nice to see something about one of it's main competitors, the contax iia--i've had the pleasure of using one of these, but was curious about what the leica had to offer too. Thx for sharing!
Respect, Thank you!
Thanks a lot! I can always learn a lesson from your video. Could you help me find out why my Leica sbooi shoe mount viewfinder cannot fit a Leica iiif. By the way Iitcan be put smoothly on a Leica m3, that really confused me 😢
I have a IIIf and have never had to trim the film on loading. I do however make sure that on closing the bottom plate I take the slack out of the film with the rewind before winding on at least two frames. I sometimes lose the third frame which is the first exposed frame so I make sure that I take that twice.
You’re running the risk of the film getting caught in the shutter curtain. It happened to me.
Very interesting video. I have always preferred the look of a screw mount Leica over the M bodies as well as the feel in the hands. I had a 111f and found the viewfinder too small so I recently got a mint 111g and love it with the bigger finder. However, after watching your earlier video on the M3 I feel like I am being pulled towards buying an M3 like a black hole.If you could only have one, a screw mount or an M, which would you choose?
That’s a very tough question! It’s like asking me which is my favorite child, lol. I like the size and weight of my IIIf-a lot. It’s very light and surprisingly easy to use. The M3 feels heavy after using the IIIf for a while. The M3 feels great in the hand and the viewfinder is really bright, sharp and beautiful. The M3 is my preferred choice but not by much over the IIIf. I like them both very much.
Thank you so much for the video. I love the look of these cameras, so substantial. Everything was well made, no modern day plastic knobs and gears. I have a Zorki 4, and a Zorki S, but someday I hope to get the real thing. And by the way, the Russians started making Leica copies after the war because they carted off, or looted some of the Leica factories as war reparations against Germany.
A handful of iiig bodies were made with M lens mount. ;-)
Very rare but I have seen one. 👌
Outstanding explanation
Thanks!
I have been trimming the film leader properly but doing the trim incorrectly. Thus inserting the cut side to the floor plate instead of to the inside,,, I feel like a dumb ass because I was following the German diagram upside down..... Dah,,,
Lol, I’ve done the same thing. It’s a little confusing.
Really good video - thanks
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you liked it.
great video!!
I think Barnack made the first 'Ur' cameras to test short lengths of motion picture stock (which was inconsistent, and needed testing). It was later that he turned his testing device into a dedicated stills camera. (Is that right?)
Nice video!!
Are you sure your body was converted? The IIIf also had a the film reminder you have but the IIIc's had a solid top in the advance knob. If you verified it by serial number then you got quite a nice conversion.
The add on viewfinders had a feature you did not mention, they corrected for parallax which is significant for close ups at 50mm and gets more important with longer lenses.
Also shooting with old wide angle lenses is a lot different from good modern wides. The older ones were subject to the cosine to the fourth power law. A 28 mm covers 65 degrees or 32 degree half angle. That results in the edges being one stop less exposure. It gets worse on the corners and lot worse if you go shorter than 28mm. IN the mid 50's reverse telephoto wides made illumination uniform at very wide angles which Cosina Voigtlander exploits.
One more caveat about the shutters. At 1/1000 sec teh slit is very thin and very susceptible to dirt and dust. This shows up as streaks very prominent at 1/1000 and noticeable at 1/500.
My experience is that the Nikon and Canon lenses were a bit better largely because they had bubble free glass, which reduces veiling glare and the Japanese had very good lens designers.
Lastly, if you are not aware, there were wonderful books about the these Leicas written by Morgan and Lester. The books cover all the models and accessories and even give formulas for film chemistry. The books are usually very inexpensive. If you don't have one I think you might enjoy reading one.
Thanks for the videos!
Thanks for your informative vid. Back in the 1970's, & 80's Had my own darkroom shooting B&W mostly on Minolta rangefinder and SLR cameras along with a Nikon that is currently MIA somewhere. (was young and poor then). Now doing digital filmmaking shooting a lot in L.Momocrome D ... NOT converting color. Always had a thing for the Barmack III's but never had the opportunity to use one. Where do you get your film in 100 ft bulk for that? I was shooting in mostly ASA 125 and some 400 back then. I think the vintage Leica's would require slower than 125.
I don’t use bulk film nowadays. I used to load my own cans when I was a kid. Given that the Barnack Leica’s don’t have an in built meter, you can use any available film speed while using an external meter. They are great fun to use. I especially like the focus lock that keeps the lens fixed at infinity for easy landscape and street photography.
Some leica III have that arrow too in take up spool. Not sure wchich but IIIg i supose. Ty for material. Im already waiting for my IIIa and can't wait :3
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the IIIa after you’re run a few rolls through it. Please come back and comment on it if you like. Thanks.
I have couple of them but actually back there i bought IIIa model g in really good condition. I own IIIF and II@@FilmPhotographyChannel
Yes, nicely done and....also for me Matt is responsible for a lot of buys. I took a late IIf Red scale serial number 821...same camera except
Slow shutter speeds
Thanks. I found that lack of the slow shutters speeds is no big deal since I use mine outdoors mostly.
Superb video, I just picked up a user iif, because I stumbled upon a spotless uncoated Summitar which has just been through Youxin Ye, and it seems like the perfect camera for that. I had a iiif many years ago, shot probably a hundred rolls with it. Dumb question: Where on earth can I find a brass eyepiece like yours? My plastic one is crumbling.
I’m sorry but the only suggestion I might have is to check eBay or maybe contact Mr Ye. He would surely know.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel thanks! No dice from Youxin, but I found a donor cam and now my iif is looking a tiny bit fancy.
lol that sounds great!
How is ot using this camera with glasses with this small viewfinder ‘hole’? Thanks
It’s surprisingly good. It’s not very different to look through the finder window with glasses or without. That being said, it’s still a small finder. The “autofocus” finder on the left has a lever for diopter correction.
I have the IID as I learn in NOT trimming the film, luckily I found a Leitz film trimer at the time where I was working at the camera store, and have trim the film, and no problem in shooting with my IID. I know that when I use my 35mm lens that I would have to place a 35mm finder. Love my IID, I Notice that you have a Russian lens on your Leica, how are the optics? Thank You - Good video...
The optics are ok as it is a copy of the Zeiss design. It gives a classic single coated type of rendering. Kind of bland almost Art Deco colors. The issue with these lenses are that they have some quality control issues at times and the build quality is nowhere near as good as a proper Leica. I also waited nearly two months to get it from Ukraine since they only ship by water.
Good video. The Russian "copies" were part of German war reparations. The factories, designs and machinery were sent to Russia from both Leica and Contax. There may have been others, I am not sure. Zeiss lenses also.
I noticed that the eye piece on your camera is brass like a iiiC. I wonder if your camera is a conversion of iiiC to iiiF or if someone just changed the eye piece part. I prefer the brass ones as the plastic ones tend to fall apart with age. Congratulations on a beautiful camera.
Got got to the part where you say that it’s a conversion model. Lol
Ithanks so much. t’s not the eyepiece, it’s the flash sync dial under the shutter speed that’s the difference between iiic and iiif
Will those industar lenses focus well on the leica? I've read that the Russian lenses don't pair up with the leica standard. Maybe that's just the jupiters? I've seen that both you and Matt (Mr.leica) use the industar. I really appreciate your insight on that. Thanks for these videos! I could listen to you all day long!
Thanks so much. The Industar lenses pair perfectly with Leica thread mount cameras. I haven’t had any focus issues. There are other screw mount lenses that don’t pair perfectly. Make sure that you get a proper M39 mount which means the flange is 28.8 mm and the external diameter an 39 mm. The Industar lenses are well made-if you never held a comparable Leica lens. Remember that it took two months for my lens to arrive from Ukraine.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel thanks for the clarification! I think the savings might be worth the wait, but yeah... It's torture lol. Thanks so much for the reply and the amazing videos!
hi! I just got one of these! I was wondering if this camera could use the Industar 61
If it’s an M39 mount it will fit the Leica Barnack screw mount. Be sure the seller has a return policy in case they provided an inaccurate description.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel yes it is the M39, thanks!
I sent my eBay M6 to Mr. Ye. It came back working perfectly. Can’t recommend him highly enough.
I agree 100%. He's never given me a reason to look to anyone else.
Good to know. I had framelines sticking on my M6 and sent it to Sherry Krauter for a CLA and MP finder upgrade.
The camera came back and had light leaks. I sent the camera back (mailing from Japan) the light leaks were crudely fixed with some foam on the back door (which now causes the back door to stick a bit) and the camera didn’t focus down to 0.7m. She had me fix the close focus issue over the phone by having me bend the little tab on the rangefinder roller cam. Not a very comfortable experience.
I won’t be using her again (despite a CLA that seems to be just fine) and will strongly consider Mr. Ye for my M4 and iiif.
Mr Ye is very good at his craft. Never any issues. Over the years, I’ve sent him three M6s, an M3 and the Summitar lens for CLA.
@Christopher Bortle Any url or address to Mr Ye to share? Thanks.
Yyecamera.com
How did you get the Peak Design connectors through the lugs?
I just squeezed the tip and pushed through. No special technique.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thank you! That worked perfectly!
What are those things in the strap lugs? The dangly red things
Those are to connect the Peak Design neck strap to.
I have the Leica 2f. The Leica M3. The Leica D Lux 7. And finally the Leica Q. German quality at it best.
Absolutely agree with you on this.
I think Leica IIIF is still the most affordable way to get into the Leica rangefinder world (unlike M2/M3 which price is slowly but steadily increasing). Well, as a glasses user who previously used the M3, composing on the IIIF is less comfortable. On this aspect I prefer the Canons (like VT or IVSB2). Unfortunately, unlike Leica M, there aren't many modern lenses made for these screw mount bodies.
Voigtlander has some modern screw mount ultra wides that you might be able to find on eBay.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel yep those are one of those very few options. better than nothing :D
Since most films are pre-cut; the procedure we see here, is not necessary (I own a Leica lllA since 1968, and I love(d) it).
Pre-cut? I'm very curious because I've never seen a film pre-cut to fit a Barnack Leica. Please let me know where I can get some. Thanks!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Hi, that is remarkable as Barnack not only invented the Leica, but also the film to use with it: 35mm cine film, which turned one quarter formed the 24x36 mm image. As the first, screw mount, Leica had a fixed back, putting in a film was, and still is, a bit of a tricky business, so Barnack also "invented" the tapering on the 35mm film used for photography, which was adopted by virtually every single 35mm film manufacturer. And it is still there, the tapered piece of film, measuring slightly less than two inches; it still fits neatly into the Leica spool, and the brackets in the camera only pick up the film when it, the tapered piece, is already rolled snugly around the spool. Cutting the film hasn't been necessary for 70 odd years, only when one uses bulk film (which I used a lot). Leitz even made a steel model to cut along to make the film end in order to fit in nicely on the spool.
Sorry for perhaps sounding as a wiseacre, but the Leica from 1935 was my first love, and I still cherish it. You also love, what you call the "Barnack Leica," and it is exactly there that we've met. Thank you for you interesting contributions on UA-cam. Cheers!
Wow, this is great information. I never connected these dots in my research. Thank you for taking the time to share this slice of photographic history.
"how far apart", You mean how close together the windows are, don't you? They don't compare with a Contax. Still, it's a great, great camera!
I’ve been curious about the Contax.
After WWII, the allies cancelled German patents for cameras and it was then legal to copy the features as well as the whole camera. During the war, the allies sponsored copies of the Leicas for wartime use though I don't think they managed to build it before the war ended. A LOT Of Russian copies were made with their own brands but a lot of THOSE have been modified to say Leica, essentially turning a legal copy into a counterfeit Leica. Also since the russians scored an entire Zeiss factory, a lot of lenses, even on leica copies were more zeiss clones than leica clones in terms of optical design.
Hi Eric, do you think this model is a good investment?
Film cameras from Leica are appreciating in value every year. The majority of my camera collect has doubled and my Leicas have tripled in value since I originally purchased them. Who knows what the future holds. The screw mount Leicas aren’t going up in price quite like the M-Mounts are.
Leica Body-serial number:
400000-440000
IIIc-1946-47
Thanks. great video. i am an Om-1 user (*lol, i have two and they are fun cameras, so easy to shoot) i have just bought an iiif. your video was very useful.
Thanks so much. I’m glad you found it helpful.
I just got an m-1, how does the iiif compare?
Good video, I em thinking about getting one now 👌 I was wondering do you know if the Zorki copy of Wetzlar leica are good or is it best to wait and find an original? Do you recommend getting this specific leica III f or are the a, b, c, g also as good and fun to use? I looked the different version of the leica III but I did not see major differences
The differences are minor between some of these models. Check the chart in this video that sums up the changes from model to model. The IIIf is probably the best model in terms of price and features. The IIIg is the “best” because of the bigger viewfinder but costs 3 times as much. If you don’t need the slow speeds, I would get the Leica II. It has beautiful black painted body, quieter shutter, slightly smaller body-very nice.
Oh, regarding the Zorki’s, they feel cheap (materials and mechanics) but are significantly less expensive than the real Leicas. And if you mount a Leica or other good lens, you’ll get the same results. Given that most of the Barnack Leicas can be had for $2-$300, I recommend getting the real deal. Also consider resale if you decide to sell it later. I’ve never lost money on a Leica camera or lens.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I finally got my hand on a Leica IIIc 1951 in working condition. I have 2 questions regarding my model :
1 : My tab that fixes the diopter is blocked, I can not move it like you show in your video. Is there a way to unlock it ? Is it a real problem ?
2 : The shutter is working fine but I have some concerned regarding the shutter speeds. I don't know if they are respected, plus the arrow indicating the speed on the hot shoe mount does not match perfectly (they don't face each other very well) each shutter speed. Do I need to make this fixed or is there an easier way to arrange that ?
The only way to know for sure is to test it with film to see if the shutter speeds are accurate. The issue with the diopter lever makes me think that your camera needs a CLA, clean, lube and adjustment. Every Barnack Leica that I’ve used has a freely moving diopter adjuster. If yours is stuck, that’s not normal. I would email Mr Ye at YYEcamera.com. His prices are pretty good for CLA.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Well the thing is that I am in Europe so, it would be really pricey so send it to the US. Do you know any equivalent of what Mr Ye does in Europe ? I am considering to ask him directly if he has any relations that might be able to help me here.
Leica 3G? So old! I've just got the new Leica 5G. Download speeds are insane! 😉
😂
🤣patreons laughter...
50 YEARS FROM NOW, IT MIGHT STILL BE WORKING. MY GUESS IS THAT TODAYS FUTURE CLASSIC/COLLECTABLE ,USEABLE, CAMERA WILL BE SONY A7 ALPHA SERIES, HOPEFULLY BATTERIES FR IT, TOO :)IF THIS READ IN 2072, WAS I RIGHT? SONY IS WELL MADE,METAL,COMPACT.ENJOYED YOUR GOOD VIDEO
The A7 will be in the dust bin by 2072. I think our concept of a digital camera by then will be something that doesn’t even exist today. Film cameras have a history now that is set in stone. I think that digital cameras will never achieve the same historical status that film cameras have. It’s unfortunate that the digital chips on the Sonys and all other digital cameras will one day be rendered unusable and unreplaceable. The attraction of film cameras in this day and age is similar to people riding horses or driving manual transmission cars or even bicycles. There are certainly more efficient means of travel than those but they still have their appeal.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Yes, as much as I enjoy my A7R3, the way tech changes so much I'm sure in 10 years there will be no further firmware updates, the sensor will start to get flaws, the power switch will wear out, and who knows what else. As with anything tech-related, by the time it hits the store shelves it's already obsolete.
The Zeiss Contax was a rival to the Leica, not a copy of it - the only copies of the Contax are the Ukrainian Kievs (some of which are metered, like the Contax III).
The Nikon rangefinders look like Contax externally (and have a Contax-inspired bayonet mount), but are built to Leica tolerances, and have internal Leica mechanisms.
People that know me, know that I always say that the Leica IIIf is the best camera Leica ever made. Not M3, not IIIg - IIIf.
It is a very likable camera. I’ve had an M6 for over a decade but when I picked up the IIIf for the first time I immediately liked it especially the compact size and solid engineering.
Found a IIIG for 5 bucks at the fleamarket sadly it needs repairs
Wow that’s a great find. How bad is it? Is it functioning at all?
Beautiful camera, pain to load!
Both are true but it’s not quite as hard to load as it was in the video. Trying to load a Leica while filming is really awkward. In practice it’s not that bad.
Film Photography Channel agreed Eric they become very easy with practice ..though cutting the film is a little annoying I guess!
Can be fast to load but have to cut film means pre-planning if don’t want to carry scissors! :)
That problem can be quickly solved with the expenditure of $180 for a metal template that should cost $5.00. Lol
Christopher Bortle thanks! I will check. I find loading easy as I’m used to it (just drop it in) but carrying scissors when flying is a no and I don’t like to pre-cut too much film (I normally use hotel reception scissors ha). :)
A most beautiful camera to fondle and to tout. Too bad it's got a (problimatic) chammy shutter.
Yep. I like the Leica II. Quieter shutter, black paint and no slow shutter speeds but it’s such a beauty!
Man, *you must know* there's an easier way to load Barnack models; remove the lens, set the shutter to T (or B), with the curtains open load your spools and fit them into the sprocket teeth.
De nada!
I’ve never heard that one. It makes sense tho. Once the shutter curtain is out of the way, it makes things easier.
Robert Frank used a III.
25:00 Russian got patent from Germany as World War II reparation same as other country.
Thx nice video
Wow so many adverts make your video unwatchable.
Really? I didn’t do that. Automatically set up by UA-cam based on popularity.
You dont need to cut film... just use credit card... put there and its done
Great tip!
But this is tricky, really look how to do it propper becouse you could broke sth. I actually load my leica that way@@FilmPhotographyChannel
Probably someone already had mentioned that, but this revolver viewfinder is made by KMZ in Soviet Union, here is wiki-page en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krasnogorsky_Zavod about the factory and user manual for the viewfinder www.sovietcamera.su/src/Uniview_manual.pdf
I thought I mentioned it in the video. It took over a month to arrive because everything was being delivered by ship due to Covid.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel sorry I thought you said you don't know where it was made exactly
The original Leica rotary finder was called Imarect. Where and how Leitz came up with all the crazy sounding names for their accessories is beyond me, but I suspect, they being Germans, that there is some system to their names. Thanks for another great video. I will now have to haul out my IIIf bd and lenses and start using them.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’m having a “film” type of weekend coming up. I’m taking out the M3 and my IIIf